On March 18, Hoosier Energy hosted its 2026 spring Marketing, Member Services and Communicators (MMSC) Meeting.
The meeting provided an opportunity for representatives of the member cooperatives to dive deeper and share experiences about a handful of key topics.
Early arrivals got the chance to discuss rebates related to Demand-Side Management (DSM).
The meeting then kicked into high gear with the two-pronged effort of Hoosier Energy’s Matt Randall and Hirons’ Brandon Smith on the USDA New ERA grant and increased contributions to member’s Operation RoundUp or comparable local grant program. Each cooperative will receive distributions for each of the next five years and will decide how the money is distributed to community organizations and programs.
These presentations highlighted both the administrative structure and how members can raise awareness in the community and among potential applicants for the grant. Many of the same newsletters, social media, and websites that can be used to raise awareness before the award is granted can also be used to spotlight the beneficiaries and their relationship with the cooperative. A key part of that relationship is having cooperative employees serve as volunteers with the community organization to build a greater sense of connection and togetherness. Follow-up articles, social media posts, videos, etc. can also highlight the ongoing impact of the grant in the community.
The afternoon session of the meeting turned the focus to Member Education & Engagement with NRECA’s Lindsey Davis talking about Cooperative Insights, a market research organization that is behind members’ bi-annual Cooperative Difference Survey. Lindsay discussed data trends while highlighting the challenging perceptions utilities are currently facing. Concerns about electric rates, affordability and data centers all contribute to the public’s skepticism. An important finding of the ongoing research is that cooperatives continue to outperform industry benchmarks in every electric utility category.
Davis then talked about the Net Promoter Score (NPS), unpacking what it reveals about member satisfaction, loyalty and overall cooperative health. The presentation provided clarity on how to interpret NPS results and how to identify opportunities to strengthen relationships with the communities cooperatives serve. That prompted a strong discussion among attendees.
The day concluded with a roundtable discussion on Hoosier Energy’s communication process during the MISO Emergency Event earlier this year and changes being made based on lessons learned. Co-op communicators then discussed their individual strategies during emergency events and the importance of more consistency with what member cooperatives put out to the public during such times.